Terminal for electrical cables.



0. W. DAVIS.

TERMINAL FOR ELECTRICAL CABLES. I

APPLICATION FILED MAY8,' 1909.

1,005,002. Patented 00113, 1911.

Flfll- 66 q to. a INVENTOR 476MM6 A;

UNlTED snares PATENT ora ion.

UNDERGROUND CABLE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TIQN OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TERMINAL FUR ELECTRICAL CABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent,

PatentcdQct, 3, i911,

' Application and May e,'1eoe. Serial No. 494cm.

To all wlwm it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES W. DAvIs, residing at Edgeworth, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a

citizen of the United States, have invented lily invention is illustrated in the acco1npanying drawing.

Figure 1 shows a terminal structure ernbodying my invention partly in elevation and partly in vertical section; Fig.2 is a detail of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and

,Fig". 3 is a further detail illustrating a modification.

The terminal itself consists of a case or shell. which is "formed in two parts indicated in the drawing as 1 and 2. The general plane or meeting of these parts is preferably horizontal, and as shown in Fig. 2 the surface contact of the two parts when assembled. is oblique to the horizontal. T he up per 'ortion of this two-part case or shell overhangs the seam of meeting of the two parts as the caves of a house overhang a window to more securely protect this scam from the ingress of moisture. It will be understood that the reason for having the contact surface oblique is to the same end, that is, the prevention of ingress of moisture.

The nether part of the casing is provided with. an orifice 3 for the introduction or the cable and it is preferably shaped as is indicated in the drawing, so that the sheath of the metal sheathed'cable may be secured to it by a wiped solder joint." The orifices for the leads-cut are so arranged that their widest part shall lie in the line of junction of the two halves of the shell or casing. The purpose of such an arrangement is thiathat the cable may he introduced through-the orifice arranged to receive it, the individual conductors thereof may be separated, insulators may be applied to them, and. they may then be, vhent down and seated, in the orifices ada' ted to receive them, and whenthus essemoled the upper portion of the case or shell may be applied and securedin place. This is a distinct advantage over other constructions, wherein the divided conductors of the cable must be manipulated within a closed casing. The lead-out orifices, thus made readily accessible when the casing is opened, lie also within the protection of the overhang of the upper part of the casing when the whole is assembled. in the struc: ture shown in the drawing there are a mimber of lead-out orifices and. three insulators l as shown, through which the separate conductors of the introduced cable may be led out. These insulators are themselves prefer ably petticoated as shown in the drawing, 7

In order to further guard against the ingress of moisture to the structure, the overhang of the upper portion of the casing 2 is peculiarly arranged in that its edge where it projects above an insulator is re-curved, as .is indicated at 5, to prevent moisture collecting upon the upper surface of casing I 2 from dripping down upon the insulator and so finding a way cit ingress to the 1nterior of the terminal casing, At one side of the insulator the overhanging rim of the upper casing or shell is downwardly inclined, as is indicated 6, forming a point of discharge for accumulated moisture'and when the terminal includes a number of leads-out these dischargepoints will bearranged at intervening points between the adjacent insulzutors -The moisture then kept by the recurred edge of the overhang from dripping down upon the insulators is carried laterally and discharged at such intervening points.

As shown in the I minal structure is preferably of general circular contour, the intake'orifice 3' is preferably centrally arran ed in the lower part of the casing and the lead-out orifices are preferably disposed about the center at regular. intervals, and are themselves preferably circular in form. 1 shows a lead sheathed cable A introduced through the orifice 3 and secured therein by the wiped solder joint a.

Within. the terminal structure the several conductors of t cable are se arated and each one of them as for example B passes out through one of theleadout orifices be ing surrounded at its point of issue by the insulator't, suitably secured in the orifice itself.

drawing the whole ter-' The assembling of such a structure is apparent. The sheath and insulating envelops of the cable are cut away to a sutiicient degree and the lower half of the casing is slipped over the end of the cable and brought to place thereon, and the wiped solder joint made. The insulators 4 are then applied to the several conductors and properly secured thereon, and when so secured the conductors are bent so as to. bring the several insulators to position relative to the lower part of the shell 1. The upper part 2 of the shell is then applied and secured in place in any suitablenianner.

As shown in the drawing an opening 7 may be provided for introducing some insulating compound to fill the chamber within the terminal after it is fully assembled, and thismpening 7 may be closed by a suitable plug.

The drawing shows a wiped solder joint a, directly connecting the sheath of the cable A with the lower part of the case or shell 1; and from this it is apparent that, as illustrated, the lower half of the case or shell may be made of metal. If the lower half of the case or shell be made of metal, it is desirable. that a guard be placed against electrical dischargeto the metal case from adjacent portions of each of the several leads-out. As shown in Fig. 1, such a guard may consist of an annulus, formed of insulating material, indicated at 8, surrounding and forming part oi that portion of the shell 1 to which the insulator at surrounding the lead-out of the terminal approaches.

lit is neither necessary, nor in every case desirable that thesh ll or either of its parts he formed of metal. Both of these parts may, if desired, be formed of insulating material; but, in such case, it will be understood that provision will preferably be made for the securing of the lower part of the casing with the sheath of the metal-sheathed cahle hy wiped solder joint, such joint being the nooaooe most satisfactory form of joint in such installations.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the casing 1*, which it is to be understood is made of some insulating material. ltnto the orifice formed in this casing for the introduction of thecable, a metal thimble 9 is secured, preferably by being screw-threaded therein, and upon such projecting "thiinble the desired wiped solder joint may be made.

ll claim herein as my invention:

1. A terminal structure for electrical conductors including a case or shell formed in two parts meeting in a substantially horizontal plane and provided with an. inlet orifice formed centrally in the lower part, and with a plurality of lead-out orifices radially arranged with respect to said inlet orifice, and interrupting the line of union of said parts, substantially as described.

2. A terminal s ructure for electrical. conductors including a case or shell formed in two parts, the line or union of whose meeting edges is interrupted by a plurality of lead-out orifices, the contacting surfaces of the said meeting" edges extending angularly to the general plane in which the said edges I meet, substantially as described.

3. In a terminal structure for electrical conductors case or shell provided with a substantially cylindrical portion for reception of introduced cable, and with an orifice for a lead-out, and alead-out structure in said orifice, and an annulus of insulating material surrounding torrning part oi the aforesaid cylindrical portion of said case or shell that part thereot which lies proximate to lead-out structure, substantially as described.

in testimony whereof, l have hereunto setmy hand.

CHARLES? DAVIS. -Witnesses BAYAIRD isrr', CHARLES Bennnrr. 

